Glossary A

Glossary

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Administrator
The individual or institution appointed by a court to oversee the settlement of the estate of a person who has died without a will.

Alpha
Measures a fund's risk-adjusted performance and represents the difference between a fund's actual performance and its expected performance, given its level of risk.

Amortization
Gradual debt reduction. Normally, the reduction is made according to a pre-determined schedule for installment payments.

Annual Portfolio Turnover
A measure of how frequently assets within a fund are bought and sold.

Annuity
An interest-bearing contract between an individual and a life insurance company that guarantees periodic payments to the indivdual during a specific time period.

Appreciation
An increase in value, the opposite of depreciation.

Not FDIC insured | May lose value | No bank guarantee

An investment in Northern Funds is not insured by the FDIC, and is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed by The Northern Trust Company or any affiliate. An investment in Northern Funds involves risks, including possible loss of principal.

Shares of the Northern Funds are offered only by a current Prospectus and are intended solely for persons to whom shares of US registered funds may be sold. This site shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of shares of the Northern Funds in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.